I don’t believe it!

This story from Alex Mostrous in the Times yesterday really caught my eye.

“Most benefit derived from doping is in the mind, an Australian study suggests.

Over eight weeks at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, athletes were given either growth hormones, which are banned by the World Anti-Doping Association, or inactive placebos – without knowing which substance they were taking.

At the end of the study, volunteers who took placebos could sprint faster, jump higher and lift heavier weights.”

So, it seems that people can do amazing things when they simply believe it is possible and they operate free from doubt. Something we coaches have known for a while, but it’s nice to have it proven in this way.

Last year people scoffed when the pop psychology book The Secret suggested it was possible to attract success into one’s life simply by focusing and believing that such success is already there. Well isn’t this simply exactly the same placebo effect in operation?